Vivien Tomlinson's Family History
Vivien's Batley Pages: that part of my Family History in and around Batley in Yorkshire
Shoddyopolis
In time I shall write up more of my notes on background history, but since much of the site focusses on that period when Shoddy played a major part of Batley's transformation from village to town, I shall put a few comments here.
Much of my story concerns the Industrial Revolution Period, when much of the country saw widespread changes and rapid population growth. Many features of Batley's growth were shared with other places, but it had its own speciality
The invention of the process for recycling rags to make new cloth is attributed to Benjamin Law of Batley , and my ancestors were among the first to utilise this new technique there. Indeed I don't recall ever not knowing what Shoddy was, for it was often necessary to explain my father Brian Eley's occupation..
It is unfortunate that the word has come to mean poor quality in general, for shoddy cloth can be good enough for many a purpose, and made cheaper clothing available to many. My great grandfather Isaac Binns, expressed the position well in saying:-
"Though we have invented a new material we have also invented a new expression. "Shoddy" has become of a world-wide use as a name denoting want of quality in anything, and that is what we grumble at. "Shoddy" as a word means quite a different thing from "shoddy" as a material. The latter is not the result of deceit or neglect, nor does it look better than it is.Shoddy cloth can, it is true, be made into broadcloth at the low figure of avout sixpence a yard; but shoddy cloths are made, as a rule, so that the prince does not object (and the peasant can afford) to wear clothes made from them. In short, shoddy, we believe, as Walter White puts it, is a great leveller, besides being a great invention to boot; and Batley, by its aid, has become known in the markets of the whole world; while Batley men are in requisition in every country so far civilised as to have begun to imitate our manufactures."
Isaac appears to have read Walter White, whose account describes the manufacturing process in the mid-nineteenth century, and there are many references to those employed in the trade, whether in procuring or sorting rags, grinding them into shoddy , or making cloth incorporating the same. With our present concern for recycling, it may now achieve a more valued status.This site may not be downloaded to another, but I should welcome appropriate links. I should be grateful for any corrections and delight in contributions.
© Vivien E Tomlinson 2007 - latest update: all my rights reservedThis page was created by John Cardinal's Second Site v1.9.16.
Site updated on 16 Nov 2008 at 20:01:59 from Batley and Yorkshire Families; 4,817 people